“I love unsubscribes. Don’t be here if you don’t want to be here.”
It is insanely easy to subscribe to a newsletter—and even MULTIPLE newsletters all at once.
But is that a good thing? Should newsletter creators be more choosy when determining who signs up? We're diving into one of the most overlooked and under-discussed aspects of newsletter growth: friction.
Specifically, how adding friction—rather than eliminating it—can actually improve subscriber quality, open rates, and monetization.
This one’s a must-listen if you’re growing via referrals, recommendations, or paid ads—or if you’re cleaning your list and still not seeing better open rates.
→ Take your newsletter to the next level with GIR Pro >>
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Why the "low friction" mindset can lead to worse subscribers
- What happened when Chenell got aggressive about cleaning her list
- Backend vs. frontend friction: which is better and when
- Building a false double opt-in to retain more good subscribers
- Why double opt-in purgatory can kill 20–40% of your growth
- How paid ads can inflate list size but tank your quality
- Form fields, first names, and checkbox tactics that work
- The danger of creating “unsubscribe friction” (and why you shouldn’t use it)
- What Dylan includes in every single broadcast to improve list health
- Creative ideas like gated quizzes, segmenting checkboxes, and engagement-driven welcomes
LINKS MENTIONED
- Workweek
- beehiiv Creator Network
- Kit Creator Network
- Chris Hutchins → AllTheHacks.com
- Ask us a question or submit a podcast topic idea: growthinreverse.com/questions
- Check out the 30 Days of Growth FREE >>
- 30 Days of Growth Course Pre-launch
- Growth In Reverse PRO Community
- Want your newsletter roasted? Submit it here.
- Check out past Growth In Reverse Deep Dives: https://growthinreverse.com/archive/
FOLLOW ON SOCIAL
OUR NEWSLETTERS
Subscribe & Leave a Review:
If you found this episode valuable, take a second to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It helps more newsletter creators find the show. Plus, if you submit a review, you’ll get priority for your own newsletter roast!
Thanks to Tim Forkin for editing these episodes.
Popular Podcasts
Law & Order: Criminal Justice System - Season 1 & Season 2
Season Two Out Now! Law & Order: Criminal Justice System tells the real stories behind the landmark cases that have shaped how the most dangerous and influential criminals in America are prosecuted. In its second season, the series tackles the threat of terrorism in the United States. From the rise of extremist political groups in the 60s to domestic lone wolves in the modern day, we explore how organizations like the FBI and Joint Terrorism Take Force have evolved to fight back against a multitude of terrorist threats.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal
Gregg Rosenthal and a rotating crew of elite NFL Media co-hosts, including Patrick Claybon, Colleen Wolfe, Steve Wyche, Nick Shook and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic get you caught up daily on all the NFL news and analysis you need to be smarter and funnier than your friends.